Clay was the most common material used for making Buddhist statues and icons in Bhutan. Unlike bronze and silver statue making in which the Bhutanese sought the fine skills of Newari craftsman, Bhutanese excelled in statue-making from clay. Thus, most large statues in the Bhutanese temples were made from local clay by native craftsman. In addition to using clay for religious art, Bhutanese also used clay for pottery and construction of ovens and houses.